Spool



Feb. 13, 1940. c." c. SCHOLL I SPOOL Filed Feb. 19, 1958 Patented Feb.13, 1940 UNITED STATES sroor.

Chester C. Scholl, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Belden ManufacturingCompany, Chicago, 111., a

corporation of Illinois Application February 19, ms, Serial No. 191,453

4Claims.

and during unspooling, the body of the spool should be of fairly largediameter. At the same time, usual machine operating conditions requirethat the spool shall be of light weight construction and shall beprovided with a small diameter, central bearing, the axis of whichcoincides with the axis of the spool.

20 Further, in order to best realize all of the advantages of presentday high speed coil winding machines, the spools used in connectiontherewith should be sufliciently strong structurally to permit a drivingmechanism to be applied to one end of the spool and a braking mechanismto be applied to the other end. Also, from an economic viewpoint'it ismost important that these spools shall be relatively inexpensive.

The principal object of the present inverrtion, therefore, is to providean improved spool which will fully meet all of the previously enumeratedrequirements and which can be readily manufactured at low cost,preferably by die casting or molding operations. Other objects and asthe numerous advantages of my invention will be made clear by referenceto the accompanying drawing and the following description of oneparticularly satisfactory embodiment of the inyention. Referring to thedrawing- 44) Figure 1 is an axial sectional view of a wire spoolembodying the features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view, partially in section, oi. the unitarybody member which consti- 46 tutes a part of the complete spoolillustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the end closure disc forming a part ofthe spool illustrated in Figure 1;

50 Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the disc illustrated in Figure2;

' Figure 5 is a perspective view of the central tube forming a part ofthe spool illustrated in Figure 1; and

g Figures 6 and 7 are reduced end elevations of the completely assembledspool illustrated in Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the embodiment of the invention thereinillustrated includes a cast or molded unitary body member 9 having abar- 5 rel l0 and two outwardly projecting, circular, end flanges H andI2 integral therewith. The bore iii of the tubular body 9 is partiallyclosed at one end by an inwardly projecting annularly shaped member I!formed integrally with the 10 lower flange II. The member I is providedwith a polygonally shaped opening I 5 adapted to receive and support thelower end of a bearing tube It which extends through the bore l3 of thearrel l0. The central portion of the outer surface of both flanges isflat in order that a brake shoe forming a part of the coil winding orother machine with which the spool is used may be applied thereto, andthe lower flange II is provided with a rectangularly shaped recess I8for the purpose of receiving a keying member. The other end of the boreI3 is adapted to be closed by a separate, annularly shaped disc memberI! illustrated particularly in Figures 3 and 4. This disc member I!includes a flat surfaced, circular body portion 20, and a plurality ofsymmetrically arranged ribs 2| cast integrally therewith. One of theribs 2| is preferably provided with an enlarged portion which ishollowed out in order to provide a key opening Illa at the upper end ofthe spool. The disc member I9 is also provided with an annular hub 23adjacent its central portion and a circular opening 24 for receiving theupper end of the bearing tube It which extends through the barrel l0. 7

As will be seen particularly by reference to Figure 4, the outer edge ofthe ribs 2| forming a part of the washer member are tapered, pref er--ably at an angle of about 3, and each rib is adapted to engage acooperating tapered slot or groove 25 formed in the inner surface of thebarrel lb.

The upper end of the body 9 is provided with an annular recess or seat26 for receiving the peripheral edge portion of the disc member I9, 46and when this 'disc member is seated in this recess 26, as isillustrated in Figure 1, a wedging action will result from theengagement of the tapered edge portions of the ribs 2| and thecooperating grooves 25 in the barrel II]. This wedging action serves toaccurately center and position the disc member |9 in the end of thespool member 9, and at the same time positively .locks that memberagainst rotative movement relative to the spool member 0. The locking ofthe disc member I9 is of great importance in permitting a drivemechanism to be connected to either end of the spool by means of one ofthe key slots I8 or I8a and a braking mechanism to be applied to theflat surface at the other end of the spool.

The disc member I9 is held in place and a bearing is provided for theentire spool assemblage by means of the central bearing tube I6. Priorto assembly of the spool, one end of the bearing tube is expanded as,for example, by the use of a mandrel and die, to form a polygonalsection 21 adapted to fit within the polygonal opening I in the lowerend of the spool body 9; and also an enlarged annular head portion 28for holding the bearing tube I6 against longitudinal movement when it isassembled into the spool.

During the assembling operation the bearing tube I6 which has previouslybeen cut to proper length and which has had one of its ends formed withthe polygonal section 21 and the enlarged head portion 28 as describedabove, is inserted through the opening I5 in the partially closed lowerend of the spool body 9. The disc I9 is then put in place over the upperend of the tube [6 with the edge portions of the ribs 2I engaging thecooperating slots 25. With the parts so posi-' tioned, the outer end ofthe tube I6 is spun or swedged over to complete the assembling of thespool, as is illustrated in Figure 1. During this final operation it isdesirable that substantial tensional stresses shall be set up in thebearing tube I6 in order that the parts of the spool shall bepermanently locked in place.

I'he barrel II of the spool is preferably of relatively large diameter,whereas the bearing tube I6 is of relatively small diameter and spaced aconsiderable .distance from the inner wall thereof. This construction isparticularly advantageous in that it permits the convenient manufactureof a large spool of light weight construction, especially when the spoolis cast of a light weight alloy, or molded from material such as aphenolic resin condensate.

The utilization of a special disc member IQ of the type described forclosing the open end of the spool considerably simplifies the casting ormolding operation and at the same time, by virtue of the taperedconstruction of the positioning slots 25 for the .disc and the radialribs 2| cast integrally with the disc, permits the manufacture of spoolsby die casting or molding operations which may be easily and accuratelyassembled without necessitating any machining whatsoever, and which atthe same time are fully as strong as one piece spools. Moreover, thisconstruction makes possible the manufacture at low cost of accurate,light weight spools provided with keying means at either end thereofwhich are sufficiently strong to permit a driving or braking mechanismto be used at either end of the spool without danger of displacement ofthe spool parts during use.

It will be apparent that various types of spools embodying theprinciples which I have disclosed in the foregoing may be evolved, andit is my desire that the accompanying, claims shall be accorded thebroadest reasonable construction consistent with what is expresslystated therein and the'prior art.

body and supported at one end by said support,

and an annular disc seated in the open end of said body, said bodyhaving an annular recess adjacent the open end of said bore for seatingsaid disc and'the inner wall of said bore being provided with aplurality of spaced, tapered slots, said annular disc being providedwith tapered projections for engaging said tapered slots whereby saiddisc may be accurately centered in said bore and may be keyed to saidbody.

2. A spool comprising a one piece, cast or molded barrel havingexternally projecting, integral end flanges thereon, coaxial aperturedclosures for the ends of said barrel, and a bearing tube coaxial withinthe barrel and fitting within the apertures of the closures andmechanically tying together said closures, one of said closures beingcast integrally with said barrel and flanges, and the other of saidclosures comprising a separate, annular disc, said barrel being providedwith an annular recess for engaging the edge of said annular .disc andwith a plurality of tapered slots, said annular disc being provided witha plurality of ribs having tapered, peripheral edge portions forwedgingly engaging said tapered slots to position said disc centrallywithin the bore of said barrel and to lock said disc against movementrelative to said barrel.

3. A spool comprising a cast or molded barrel having externallyprojecting, integral end flanges, the bore of said barrel being closedat one end except for a centrally located opening by a support meanscast integrally therewith, the bore of said barrel being open at theother end and said barrel being provided with a concentric, annularrecess adjacent said open end, a generally fiat, annularly shaped discadapted to be seated in said annular recess for closing the open end ofsaid barrel, said disc being provided with a pluraliay of strengtheningribs having tapered, peripheral edge portions, said barrel beingprovided with a plurality of tapered slots for wedgingly engaging thetapered edge portions of said ribs, and a bearing tube extending throughthe central opening in said disc and through the opening in said supportmeans, the ends of said tube being swedged over in order to locksaid'disc in place.

4. A spool comprising a cast or molded barrel having externallyprojecting, integral end flanges thereon, coaxial apertured closures forthe 'ends'of said barrel, and a bearing tube coaxial within the barreland fitting within the apertures of. the closures and mechanically tyingtogether said closures, one of said closures being integral with saidbarrel and fiaiges, and the other of said closures comprising a separateannular disc, said barrel being provided with an annular seat forreceiving said annular disc and with a plurality of spaced slots, saidannular disc being provided with a plurality of similarly spacedprojections which engage said slots with a wedging engagement, wherebysaid disc may be accurately centered in said bore and may be keyed tosaid body.

CHESTER C. SCHOLL.

